Saturday, December 12, 2009

"I do not know how to thank Bhat sahib . God bless him and his family where ever he is . In fact it was he who gave employment to my son .He was from this village khrew . He was a very senior officer in state bank of India ."

said Ghulam Nabi who met us at Village khrew and who joined us on foot to the Hill top shrine of Jwala ji .

The temple is located on Zabarwan mountain range on a small hillock overlooking Khrew Village . A flight of about 350 devri stone steps up from the base takes you to the shrine .The temple is in fine kashmiri wooden architecture with Blck stone image Jwala ji inside . Khrew is about 20kms from srinagar .Even though the area is undergoing rapid developments on account of location of various cement Industries , the road from Athwajan to Khrew and finally to Wastarwan continues to be in a bad shape. The shocker of my car had to be replaced after this journey. we returned from pamore . That road is in better shape.

This shrine is dedicated to Fire Goddess Jwala ji .Jwala ji is Ishta devi of many kashmiri Pandits .kashmiri Pandits organize a fair at this shrine on 14th bright fortnight of Ashada ( June - July ). Yellow rice or TAHAR ( a kashmiri tradition ) and SHOOSHNOR ( Lamb's lung ) are offerred to the deity . As per Twareekhe- Hassan , occasional flames sparked in this temple from time to time .Some elders from the village Khrew also confirmed having seen the flames in early sixties .

Kalhana makes clear mention of springs of the area .We also saw a well maintained spring in Khrew .

" Here on the twelfth of the dark half of Jyeshta , he will come for the pilgrimage of TAKSAKA ; ____ "

(Taranga I canto 220 Taksaka Naga is nothing but the sacred spring at ZEWAN ( Jayvana ) .This Spring is believed to be the abode of patron saint of the saffron fields which grow in the neighbourhood. )

The temple is in good shape . It was also informed to us that a Brahmin from nearby village Lodhoo visits this temple for Puja once a week.

Mohd sultan a resident of Lodhoo added

" See those cement factories and see the smoke rising from them. It comes down on us and these saffron fields "

That was a story on Jwala ji temple of Khrew which we visited in september 2009.

This is how Dry Chinar leaf charcoal is made in kashmir. This charcoal is locally known as Punn Tsenei( Chinar Leaf Charcoal ) .This charcoal is most effective tool to fight winter in kashmir. It is used in Kangris . During October and november you see people burning these leaves in parks and gardens to make charcoal. There is a skill involved in making charcaol from these dry Chinar leaves . A stick , water buckets and a technique to douse flames is needed . A little carelessness and you have just Ash .

Now i shall say something about Samad Mir . Samad Mir (1894-1959) was an Aari Kash(Timber sawing ) at Timber godowns in Srinagar for most part of his life. Born in village Nambal haar , he moved to srinagar in search of livelihood. He also worked as a labourer in Maharaja Hari singh 's palace in srinagar .This experience he put in his long poem Vepraavun pyom( i had to make compromises ).He was almost illiterate. Inspite of this ,he rose to become one of the towering Mystical poets of kashmiri Language who combined Islamic Sufism with Hindu Vedanta in his poetry. Samad Mir has used the folk tale of Akanandun to give expression to his own mystical experiences and present a synthesis between Tassavuf and Shaivism .Dulloofamily had many houses in Rainawari. They Lived in Moti Yaar area .During their marriages, they would Call the renowned CHAKRI singer Gh Ahmed sofi ( Ama Kandhur ) , who lived in Rainawari, to sing for the Mehndi Raat . In One such gathering late sofi sahib sang a beautiful composition of Samad Mir called TARAWATI . It is actually a combination of Hindu Shaivism and Islamic Tassavuf at its peak. The Number became popular in kashmir as TARAWATI ( Name of a Kashmiri Pandit women Generally ) . I quote some lines from this poem:-

Saturday, December 5, 2009

GHANI KASHMIRI ( DIED 1669)"You know there was a poet in our Kashmir, Ghani by name, who was well known as “Ghani Kashmiri.” A poet from Iran came to visit him. The doors of his house were open. He used to say, “What’s there in my house that I should keep the doors locked? Well, I keep the doors closed when I’m inside the house because I am its only asset.” The poet from Iran left his poetry note book in the vacant house. One couplet in that notebook was incomplete. He had composed the second line but could not do the first one. The second line ran thus: “The smell of kebab is wafting from your clothes.” When the Iranian poet returned and looked in his note book, he found the first line written there: “Has the hand of ablighted soul touched your fore-cloth?”Pundit-ji, I am also a blighted soul. I’ve taken issue with you because I am dedicating this book to you."

Sa‘adat Hassan Manto

This is how Saadat Hassan Manto Made mention of Poet Ghani Kashmiri in his famous letter addressed to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru sent just before his death in Lahore Pakistan.

This verse, contained in "Dewan-e-Ghani", had a kashmiri word KRAALPAN meaning Potter's Thread .Saib Tabrizi ( 1601-1677 ) ,well known Persian poet from Isfahan Iran, unable to understand the meaning of a famous verse - in which Ghani had intermingled both Persian and Kashmiri words - travelled all the way from IRAN to Kashmir to meet him. When the Iranian poet arrived ,Ghani Kashmiri was not at his residence but out some where yet the doors of his house were open. Allama Iqbal refers to this incident thus:

That nightingale of poetry, Ghani,Who sang in Kashmir’s paradisal land,Used, while at home, to shut up all the doors,But leave them open while away from home.Somebody questioned him concerning this."O charming bard," he said, "Why do you doThis strange thing, which nobody understandsThe meaning of ?" Ghani, who had no wealthExcept his gift of poetry, replied:"What people see me doing is quite right.There is nothing of any value in my houseExcept myself. When I am in, the houseIs to be guarded like a treasure-house.When I am out, it is an empty place,Which nobody would care to walk into."

Mulla Mohd Tahir Ashai or Ghani kashmiri was the most famous persian poet of the subcontinent who was widely read in Iran .He was a student of another unsung persian poet of kasmir known as mulla Hassan Fani. Ghani belonged to the highly respected Ashai family of Kashmir.He never attended any Darbar or wrote any Qasida ( poetry of Praise ) for any ruler of his time.He even refused to visit Aurangzeb's Court when summoned repeatedly by the Mughal King. This 17th century poet lived during the reign of Aurangzeb and till this day he is considered one of the great masters of persian poetry. This Kashmiri poet exerted a great influence on the development of persian and urdu poetry in India . He is considered a great master of SABAK E HINDI or THE INDIAN STYLE OF PERSIAN POETRY patronized by Mughals ..Mirza Ghalib translated more than 40 of his couplets into urdu. Kashmir Poet Ghulam Ahmed Mahjoor refers to him in his famous poem ‘Arise, O’ Gardener’:

Litterateurs of Iran will bowTo you in reverenceif you create a poet with powers ofmagical narration like Ghani.

Ghani also wrote in urdu . I quote one of his couplets as under

"Dil yun khayale zulf mein phirta hai n'ara zan

Taarik shab mein jaise koi pasban phire"

I have always said that kashmiris have neglected their icons . It applies truly to Ghani Kashmiri .Ironically his writings are prescribed as study material for scholars in Iran , but just outside Bachi Darwaza in Rajouri kadal area lies his dilapidated house and neglected grave . The photo of Mazaar of the poet has been uploaded as image no 2 at the top. I have also uploaded a view of the Bachi Darwaza as well as the Main Deori ( Gate ) of Makhdoom Sahib's shrine for this post.Old Bachi Darwaza has since been demolished a new Constructed at its place . Apart from Bachi Darwaza , the other gates of the Hari Parbat fort wall are Sangeen Darwaza and Kathi DARWAZA . Sangeen Darwaza faces the Shrine of Sharika while the Kathi Darwaza is near Chhathi Padshahi Gurudwara .

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Started in 1958 to mark Rabindra Nath
Tagore ( 1861-1941 ) Centenary Celebrations , TAGORE HALL SRINAGAR was
inaugurated by Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed In 1961 . It remains the main centre of
Cultural activities in Kashmir even though bigger events are held now in SKICC
on Dal Banks .

I have witnessed Many plays , Musical programmes , Theatre
Festivals , Mushairaas and Public functions in this Hall. Prior to Turmoil ,
this hall has been a breeding ground for almost all the actors and theatre
Personalities of Kashmir . This Hall has a seating capacity of 675 persons .

Remembering Tagore
Hall, Artist Bansi Raina adds ,

“Tagore hall taught us ,how plays can
be presented with the help of sets...lights..cyclorama .Tagore hall taught us
how an artist should react in a house full or huge gatherings. Prior to Tagore hall ...we
had facilities as Shivala, Women”s College , Teachers Training college...but
without basics. it had magic.The credit for revival of theatre in kashmir
valley goes to Tagore Hall.Tagore Hall was our Mandir.My association with it stated in
sixties with a play by ISJohar named Budh Kaam Shudh under the banner of a
theatre "Kalasangam situated at Wazir Bagh.Latter Bansi Parimu dragged me
from coffee house to help in arrangements for Ali Mohd Lone’s play TAQDEERSAZ presented by RangmanchTheatre. It was annual Drama festival.The
play was a great success and remained a topic for discussion in coffee House
for weeks. Thereafter ,as a member of Rangmanch theatre, my association
continued with Tagore Hall till eighties with occasional absence because of
PAPI PEIT. The Incharge officer of
Tagore Hall was Padam Shri Moti Lal Kemmu and his deputy my friend Hasrat
Gadda.Yadoon ki Baraat.”

Dina Nath Naadim’s
celebrated opera Vitasta was also
performed at Tagore Hall with Mirza Afzal Beg as chief guest. He came to Dais
after the show was over to hug Makhan Lal Saraf and shower bouquets of praise
for Naadim ,G R Santosh ,Pran kishore
and the Artists. Makhan lal Saraf played the role of Neel Naag or father of
bride Vitasta at that point of time.

Adds Bashir Ahmed Siraj,

“This building was in its prime during the early sixties.
The stage was fully equipped with modern light and acoustic systems, curtain
operation and various other stage props commonly used in performances. I was
involved with production of a few performances of a play by Akhtar Mohidin, and
a play by Krishen Chander named Kitab Ka Kaffan. I also produced a magic show
in this hall, through a magician friend from Bombay. Makhan Lal Saraf, Omkar
Aima, Hirday Nath Gurtoo are some of the names that come to mind who acted in
the play by Akhtar. “

And this Tagore Hall is
currently closed .The Renovation of Tagore Hall was started in 2008 but I found
it incomplete when I visited the site in 2014. I do not know what further
damage the floods of sep 2014 did to this structure . We are now led to believe
that the Hall shall be ready by October 2015 .

And Similar lies the fate
of Abhinav Theatre ( Inaugurated in 1978 seating capacity 805 persons ) Jammu
that is closed for some repairs / renovation since long.

WHERE SHALL THE THEATRE
LOVERS GO ? WHERE SHALL OUR ACTORS PERFORM ?

( Autar Mota )

PS

--This post was updated on 19.05.2015 .

--Inside Jammu University’s
New Complex across Tawi Bridge , Prof Amitabh Mattoo the then VC built a
sprawling Modern Auditorium ( Zorawar Singh Auditorium ) , many times bigger
than Tagore Hall , in less than three years .